Practice makes perfect;;

[Zachary A. Frost]

<sub>Practice. Practice. Practice.

The thick books of charms and spells lay at his feet. He was attempting the summoning spell, Accio. Thus far, he had failed.
Miserably.

His black female rat, Spooky, sat patiently at the other end of the classroom. Watching him with her small black eyes as she groomed behind her ears. She was getting tired, and hungry. Her owner was only becoming more and more frustrated and short tempered.

"One more time. Zack took a deep breath, trying to clear his head, to focus and calm down. "Accio!". Spooky scooted forward slightly, but otherwise remained firmly seated on the chair he had placed her.
"For HELL!" he swore, combating the urge to snap his 11 1/2 inch Cherry wood wand with it's unicorn hair core over his knee and quit all together. It was a simple charm, why couldn't he do it?!

He paced back and forth. Trying to forget all that had happened this week. The Howler. The letter. The pressure. The threats. He stopped, pinching the bridge of his nose between two fingers, eyes closed as he once again tried to relax. "This is pointless, isn't it Spooky?" he muttered to his rat, whom did not reply, only sat patiently and watched.</sub>

[Ariana Leigh Thorn]

That rebel moon is shinin'.
Those stars burn like diamonds,
Hell bent on chasin' down that crazy slide.

I'll follow you where you're leading,
To the first sweet taste of freedom.
You got me runnin' baby,

Ari looked behind her as she hurried down the hall, her black robe writhing out behind her as she walked. She had a large stack of book clutched tightly to her chest and her eyes were shifty. Please let me find the room empty. She thought desperately as she headed toward the class room she had in mind. She wasn’t up to anything illegal, against the rules maybe but not illegal. She was simply headed off to practice her Wandless Magic. She had mastered Accio and wanted to try something more difficult today.

She would have normally been down in the dungeons, but not long after Cepheus effin’ Malfoy had found and bugged her a bunch of first year Slytherins had been going out of their way to lurk in the dungeons, taking any opportunity to mock and just irritate her. After a week she had given up, but not before she had managed to smack one of the kids in the back of the head due to her Accio-ing a book out of his friends hands.

Now she was in need of a room to practice in without anyone finding her. She had tried the Girls Bathroom that was haunted by Myrtle, but it was a sort of hang out for third year girls and down from every house. So there went that idea. Now she was heading to a Classroom on the First Floor and praying to any god out there that this would be it. Her other option was the Forbidden Forest, and she really didn’t want to go there.

She grasped the handle with a last look behind her and wretched the door open, just in time to hear a loud curse.

"For HELL!"

Ari jumped back, her books tumbling out of her hand and falling just in the door way. ”Oops. Shit. Sorry, I didn’t realize anyone was in here.” She mumbled as she ducked down to regather the large stack. She was blushing furiously as she tried to wrestle them into a pile, but her frustration caused them all to fall again. She mumbled a string of curses as she tried her best to gather them quickly, since doing so as inconspicuously as possible was out of the question.

Wild at Heart.

[Zachary A. Frost]

Zack near jumped out of his skin, going from fright, to anger, to a cold numb in less than five seconds. He stared at the blushing girl whom was getting books all about the place.
"No, it's fine. I was just leaving."
Cautiously he approached, heart racing to hard for him to be snapping and ill tempered. Slowly he gathered bent down, stacking her books and picking them up. "Christ lady" he grunted, hauling them over to an empty seat and setting them down.
He arched an eyebrow, "I wasn't aware Gryffindors were capable of reading." he said smooth, his good ol' personality back on track. "Let alone this amount." he muttered, glancing at a few of the titles.

[Ariana Leigh Thorn]

That rebel moon is shinin'.
Those stars burn like diamonds,
Hell bent on chasin' down that crazy slide.

I'll follow you where you're leading,
To the first sweet taste of freedom.
You got me runnin' baby,

Ari looked up and groaned silently when she noticed the obvious house markings that she should have noticed long before. Great. A Slytherin. She lowered her eyes, trying out her new theory of ‘They are just tryin’ ta get to you. Don’t show that they are and they’ll let it be.’ Her mother had sworn by it, but Ari never had the patience to actually follow it. So far she’d done pretty well . . . though the fact she’d avoided all Slytherin since she’d decided to test the theory didn’t really indicate whether it was working.

She looked up in confusion as he started to gather her books up. She froze and stared in shock as he moved them to an empty seat. She clutched the ones she had to her chest and raised an eyebrow. ”Why are you-“ She started to question his actions when he insulted her, making her eyes narrow angrily. She growled and snatched her books up before he could read too many of them. ”Just some light reading for a side project.” She explained quickly.

She glanced around the room and her eyes got a little suspicious. ”What were you doing in here anyway? Shouldn’t you be in your common room instead of hanging out alone in an empty class room?” She coulda sworn every member of the Slytherin house was a social animal, seeing as seeing less that three of them in a group seemed like a rare occurrence. Maybe she just wasn’t paying as close attention as she should.

Wild at Heart.

[Zachary A. Frost]

<sub>He chuckled softly, going over to collect the every patient Spooky. "Shouldn't you?" he glanced at her as he slipped his rat into his pocket. Come to think of it, he never had 'hung out' in his common room. He didn't even really know the names of anyone in his House. "I thought the Gryffies were all about sticking together."

He ruffled his hair slightly, still feeling rather worn from his constantly flaring temper. "I" he narrowed his eyes in return, response to her question "was practicing my magic.". There was no need to lie about the simple spell he was attempting. "You" he said pointedly, "seem to be doing something your not supposed to. Judging by those titles it seems...complex." a matter of fact statement, then, "Miss Gryffindor" one dripping with sarcasm and utter disrespect.

He strolled over to the corner to collect his leather satchel. Out of a side pocket he finished out a jellybean and slipped it into his pocket. Spooky squeaked with delight at her favorite treat. He was worn out, even his temper seemed dampened. He tugged slightly on his earring, trying to decide were to go. Not back to the Common Room, never back to the Common Room. Maybe he would stick around and bother the girl some more. It seemed like a plan. A better one than going down into those dank, uncomfortable dungeons.</sub>

[/sub]

[Ariana Leigh Thorn]

That rebel moon is shinin'.
Those stars burn like diamonds,
Hell bent on chasin' down that crazy slide.

I'll follow you where you're leading,
To the first sweet taste of freedom.
You got me runnin' baby,

Ari looked down as he returned her question and she bit her lip, frowning. Ya, she should be hanging out with the other students in her house. But she should also be out having a life with Caleb or actually enjoying her final year of schooling. But things didn’t always happen as they should. She looked up at him and sneered a little, not really at him. ”Incase you haven’t noticed I’m about as accepted in the Gryffindor social circles as you would be.” She grimaced to herself, as if the thought of actually being social with them was ranked right up there with giving grandma a sponge bath.

She cocked her head to the side. ”Practicing magic . . . Unless it was dark magic, and the sound of that Accio makes me doubt it was . . . not exactly as interesting as I would have thought.” Jeeze, seemed like everyone did fairly boring stuff while alone at Hogwarts. Not what you’d expect at a Magic School. She looked up again and blushed as she shuffled her books, hiding the titles. ”I am not. It’s not against the rules.” She was speaking quickly as she tried to explain. ”For your information Mr. Slytherin I was going to practice some magic myself, not that it’s really any of your business.” Jeeze, did this guy have disrespect permanently programmed for his tone?

She sighed as she tried to balance her books, but gave up after a moment. She pulled her wand out and pointed it at the pile. ”Reducio” The spell sounded clearly in her head and after a small wand flick the pile of books was shrunken to a size that would fit in her bag. She should have done that long before, but she’d been in such a hurry that she hadn’t had time to put her books down and do so. She heard a squeak and wondered how he could stand to keep a rat in his pocket. She had tried to keep a mouse in her pocket as a child, but the damn thing had squirmed so much she hadn’t gotten away with it, not that she minded, it had gotten irritating after a while.

Wild at Heart.

[Zachary A. Frost]

<sub>Zack puffed himself up, narrowing his eyes, looking hellishly angry. "For your information" he sneered, glaring. "Accio is very dark magic. So dark in fact...only the most darkest of dark may ever attempt it." he wiggled his fingers at her, looking threatening "Wooooo be afraid. I could Accio you at any moment.". he snickered softly and relaxed, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall.

He watched her shrink her books. Damn she was good. He couldn't get a simple summoning spell to work properly and she can just go about shrinking things like it's nothing. A sly grin spread across his face, oh the things he could do with a shrinking spell. The evil, wicked, things. Maybe he could sweet talk her into teaching him.

"I'm Zack." he stated, "Zack Frost." his rat squeaked in his pocket. "The rat is Spooky. My dark magic sidekick.". he studied her a moment longer, silent. His curiosity was getting the better of him, temper cooling down to a simmer.
"What kind of magic?" he asked, softly. He had never even seen the titles she was carrying before. Could it be dark magic? He'd just have to find out.</sub>

[Ariana Leigh Thorn]

That rebel moon is shinin'.
Those stars burn like diamonds,
Hell bent on chasin' down that crazy slide.

I'll follow you where you're leading,
To the first sweet taste of freedom.
You got me runnin' baby,

Ari raised an eyebrow and look at him curiously as he got angry. For a moment she was a little worried, until he wiggled his damn fingers and “Wooooo”ed at her. She covered her mouth and giggled, squeaking a little as she tried to stifle the giggles. ”I’ll know not to cross you when you’re throwing around Accios.” She teased him softly, hoping he realized she was only joking. She was not in the mood for someone to misinterpret her humor and flip out, that just wouldn’t make her day.

She shifted her bag on her shoulder after she had put her books in her bag and she caught the sly grin that appeared on his face. She frowned in confusion and glanced over her shoulder, wondering if more Slytherin were coming and she was about to become a Muggle Born Quaffle. When she saw no one behind her she turned back to him, her head cocked to the side a bit in confusion. She wondered if she should even bother asking what he was grinning at, or if that was something she’d really prefer not to know.

She smiled weakly and nodded. ”Ariana Thorn.” She said softly, a little surprised he had even bothered to introduce himself, let alone his Rat. A little alarm when off in the back of her mind when he mentioned Spooky was his dark magic sidekick. ”It’s . . . nice to meet you both.” The sentiment came out as more of a question because a, she was talking to a Slytherin who had moments ago sneered her name and two, one of the “both” mentioned was a rat.

Her blush returned and she shifted her back, half hiding it. ”Just some advanced magic they don’t teach us very well here.” She said softly, then sighed, realizing how suspicious she sounded. ”I’m working on Wandless Magic.” She mumbled. There! Have him share it with every Slytherin just to spite me! She thought sarcastically at whatever power controlled Karma.

Wild at Heart.

[Zachary A. Frost]

"I have a very scary Accio" he said solemnly, rather relaxed now. Why pick a fight with a Griffie today? He was to tired for fighting, it had been a long day and the spell practice was soul sucking.

Wandless? Christ! His interest peaked higher, wand magic was difficult enough. He couldn't imagine doing magic wandless. His grin widened, mind racing. "That is certainly advanced" he murmured thoughtfully. "So advanced" he glanced at her, noticing her blush. "You could maybe...teach someone a shrinking spell?" he tried to keep the hopeful tone out of his voice.

He needed to learn something, anything really. He was to exhausted for threats. Begging wasn't out of the question. He could talk Spooky into it...she could pull a convincingly cute face.
He watched her, judging.

[/center]

[Ariana Leigh Thorn]

That rebel moon is shinin'.
Those stars burn like diamonds,
Hell bent on chasin' down that crazy slide.

I'll follow you where you're leading,
To the first sweet taste of freedom.
You got me runnin' baby,

Ari rolled her eyes. ”Oh, I believe you. I’m sure your Accio makes poor first years cower in fear.” She laughed softly, almost shocking herself silent. She was laughing and talking with a Slytherin boy. Did she enter the Twilight Zone or something?

She eyes him curiously and wondered if maybe taking a few steps back and holding her want out would be a justified reaction. His grin was starting to creep her out. She looked down and shrugged. ”Doesn’t matter, not getting the hand of it really. She muttered, a bit frustrated. The book made it seem so damn easy, so why in the hell couldn’t she do it? Maybe a simpler spell?

She looked up and raised an eyebrow, then looked down at her bag. A shrinking spell? She looked back up at him and blinked a few times. ”I suppose. The shrinking spell isn’t really too difficult to do. Just takes some practice.” She spoke slowly, wondering what a shrinking spell had to do with anything.

After a moment she shrugged and chuckled. ”Not much a teacher though so dunno why anyone would want my help with such a stupid spell.” She watched him cautiously, a little suspicious of his intentions. ”You got someone in mind who would be interested in learning that spell Zack?” He wanted to play coy, so could she. Meanwhile she was going to be a little more careful.

Wild at Heart.

[Zachary A. Frost]

"Maybe I have someone in mind, Ariana." his grin vanished as he pushed off the wall, approaching and stopping a few feet away. "Maybe I know someone who would have...uses for it." he spoke carefully. He didn't want to freak her out and scare her off, something rather hard for him to do seeing as that normally was his intentions.

"It seems like a spell that, lets say...even a Slytherin could do. A Slytherin with mostly enemies," he said quitely, "No friends really, at least none in the house. A Slytherin, lets say, with a rat, but no one to teach him. Except for, perhaps, a Gryffindor practicing wandless magic something that maybe she would like to keep a secret."

Spooky popped her head out of his pocket, chattering away. She climbed up his robes and onto his shoulder, sticking her nose in his ear. He tried not to smile, it tickled like hell.

[Ariana Leigh Thorn]

That rebel moon is shinin'.
Those stars burn like diamonds,
Hell bent on chasin' down that crazy slide.

I'll follow you where you're leading,
To the first sweet taste of freedom.
You got me runnin' baby,

When his grin vanished Ari’s eyes narrowed on him and darkened. She instinctively took a step back when he moved closer to her. The hair on the back of her neck started to stand on end and she studied him carefully, her hand closing around her wand a bit tighter. ”Dare I ask what sort of uses this someone would have for it?” She asked as carefully as he had spoken. Rumors of remaining Death Eaters had been flying around for a while now and Ari refused to listen to them, but that didn’t mean she didn’t get inklings about some of her fellow students from time to time.

She watched him warily as he spoke, her hand gripping her wand just incase this all went severely wrong. As he spoke she actually felt a little bad for him, it really wasn’t a hard spell and what could it hurt to teach him it? Her hand began to loosen on her wand.

Of course that pity didn’t last long.

Her hand tightened again and she glared at him. ”Is that a threat?” She hissed. She may not be too in tune with subtle things, but she sure as hell knew a threat when she heard one. ”Why are you so interested in a shrinkin’ spell anyway? It doesn’t work on people, that includes Mud Bloods so ya know.” She couldn’t help it as her temper flared and she got defensive. Maybe she should ask for a sleeping potion tonight to help her calm down.

Wild at Heart.

[Zachary A. Frost]

"I only state the obvious." he remarked dryly, scratching Spooky behind the ear. He watched her carefully, wary. Mudblood the word was like poison whispered in his ear. He bit his tongue hard, literally biting back a barbed remark, his upbringing getting the better of him. She's stronger, magicly, than you. Don't piss her off you douche. he swore silently at himself. She could probably flatten him against the wall with just a flick of her wand if she wanted to.

"As if I would use it on people." he said innocently, "There are just things, you see, that need...shrinking...occasionally." god he sounded so full of horse shit he might as well have told her he's Harry 'effin Potter. She was pissed looking enough as it is. He wasn't really in the mood to feel severe pain or death.

Absentmindedly he traced a scar on his palm with his index finger, memorizing it's own special landscape on his skin. The one that traveled across his cheek and down his throat was little more than a slice of white now, no longer the ugly red that it had been for so long.
"You scratch my back I scratch yours" he offered the muggle saying he picked up as a young boy. "Win-win for everyone." he never knew Gryffindor's had such a temper as she. Weren't they supposed to be calm and reckless? Maybe not. He hadn't really met many to begin with, so he couldn't say.

[Ariana Leigh Thorn]

That rebel moon is shinin'.
Those stars burn like diamonds,
Hell bent on chasin' down that crazy slide.

I'll follow you where you're leading,
To the first sweet taste of freedom.
You got me runnin' baby,

Ari glared at him for a long time, her breathing calm but her hand gripping her wand tightly. She wasn’t waiting for him to be a threat any longer . . . she was weighing her options.

She wasn’t really breaking any rules with the whole Wandless Magic deal, but some part of her made her want to keep it a secret. He could ruin that for her, not to mention he probably knew some nasty spells of his own that he could throw at her.

Of course if she helped him she could be contributing to the torment of her fellow students. But was that really such a bad thing? She had an inkling he wasn’t a very social person, maybe some of the people she disliked would be caught in the cross fire. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. She thought idly as she watched him.

She relaxed her grip and rolled her eyes. ”I’ve seen stables filled with less shit than you.” She muttered as she relaxed her stance further. She sighed softly and nodded. ”Fine, I’ll teach it to you. But don’t expect me to admit to it in the future.” She muttered as she dug in her bag, looking for a spell book. She pulled it out and flicked her wand in it’s direction. Engorgio. The book enlarged in her hand and she plopped it down on the table, flipping it open to the correct page.

She couldn't help the smirk that tugged at her lips when she heard the muggle term. It was kinda ironic in a way.

”Alright. We’ll start with enlarged items, it works better if you are trying to return something to it’s normal size rather than shrink it.” She explained as she looked around the room. She spotted a lone stool and flicked her wand in it’s direction. Engor-. She stopped herself when she remembered the kid couldn’t read mind. Verbal it is. She flicked her wand again. ”Engorgio.” She watched as the stool doubled in size in front of them, then turned back to the book.

”Now the incantation you want is Reducio. There’s no specific wand movement. Just do what you normally do and cast it at the stool.”

This was going to be an interesting experience. She hoped he was a quick learner, because she had a feeling he was about as patient as she was and she had the patience of an irritable grizzly.

Wild at Heart.

[Zachary A. Frost]

<sub>Oh christ she was really going to teach him. He had expected her to yell and curse and throw him out on his ass, not actually teach him something. He took a deep breath, bringing his wits back into order and set Spooky down on a spare table along with his leather bag. Slowly he fished his wand out of his pocket, reducio, reducio, reducio he told himself silently. It'll be easy, just relaxed, don't loose your temper.

He swallowed, aligning himself with the weirdly enlarged stool. Narrowing his eyes he flicked his wand "Reducio!" he commanded, and...flinched, expecting something to explode. Instead, nothing happened.

His wand arm dropped to his side as he gave the stool a dirty look. With a sigh, he glanced at his wand, "Your a real special little thing, aren't you" he muttered sarcasticly to it. Raising it again, another flick, sharper this time. "Reducio!".
Nothing. Not even a sputter.</sub>

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